praetorian

See also: Praetorian, prætorian, and Prætorian

English

Alternative forms

• prætorian (obsolete)
• pretorian

Adjective

praetorian (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to a praetor.
2. Of or relating to the pretorium in an ancient Roman camp.

   The praetorian gate was directly in front of the general's tent, and nearest to the enemy.

3. Corruptly mercenary and venal.

Derived terms

• praetorian band, praetorian guard: the bodyguard of the emperor in Ancient Rome

Noun

praetorian (plural praetorians)

1. A praetor
2. Alternative letter-case form of Praetorian
   • 2013, Sandra Bingham, The Praetorian Guard, I.B.Tauris, page 6:

     Durry's work is still cited as the definitive study of the praetorians, and in fact most modern scholarship on the praetorians is based on material from his work.

3. A venal mercenary
   • 2019 September 23, Jonah Goldberg, “Column: The most noxious part of Ukraine-Biden whistleblower affair is Team Trump thinks we’re all idiots”, Los Angeles Times:

     The Trump praetorians who initially denied there was any effort to pressure the Ukrainians into action on a Biden probe, possibly including the withholding of congressionally approved military aid, suddenly surfaced a new talking point: “They’re trying to turn what was a Biden scandal into a Trump scandal.”

Anagrams

• reparation